Bt proteins are degraded within just a few hours in sunlight. Because degradation occurs so rapidly, the spores and crystals are usually applied in some type of formulation to decrease the degradation rate. But even formulated Bt products lose their insecticidal activity within about 4 days. Degradation time may be even shorter than 4 days, depending on the effects of microbial degradation, dew, and washoff due to rainfall events. (for more background on BT see:http://pmep.cce.cornell.edu/profiles/extoxnet/24d-captan/bt-ext.html)

In plants that have been genetically modified to produce Bt insecticidal proteins, there will be a fairly constant supply of the Bt proteins in the leaf tissues while the plant is alive. These Bt proteins generally interact only with insects that have a specific pH in their digestive system and a binding site in their gut that can attach to a specific site on the Bt protein. The requirement for a specific pH and a unique binding site means that a Bt protein can have an effect on target pests or closely related insects, but at the same time have no effect on other insects or organisms. After the plant dies at the end of the season, the Bt proteins a rapidly degraded in the soil along with all of the other proteins contained within the plant materials, which is fitting considering Bt is naturally found in soil.

When people refer to Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), they are referring to precision plant breeding using genetic engineering. It allows plant breeders to take a desirable trait (like resistance to drought, insects, weeds, and disease) from one plant or organism and transfer it to the plant they want to improve, as well as make a change to an existing trait in a plant they are developing. You may have also heard of agricultural biotechnology or biotech seeds.... Read More

An "LMO" (Living Modified Organism) is basically a GMO that is alive and capable of passing on its genes to a subsequent generation. In most situations, the terms LMO and GMO are essentially synonymous, but neither term is really used by most biotechnologists! More on that below.
The term LMO was used in the Cartegena Protocol (basically a big document that came out of an international convention several years ago, more detailed info here.)
The reason we as... Read More

Response from: Professor Drew Kershen, Earl Sneed Centennial Professor of Law (Emeritus), University of Oklahoma, College of Law • on November 15, 2017

Biotechnology as a discipline focuses on understanding molecular biology and has applications in medicine/health, environmental science, industrial products and agriculture. Biotechnology is widely used in all these sectors. I will focus my answer on agricultural biotechnology.
In many countries (e.g., Brazil, Canada, India, and the United States) a significant amount of agricultural research, especially basic research in molecular biology, is conducted by governmental agricultural... Read More

About the Expert

In 1979, Anthony Shelton received his Ph.D. from University of California, Riverside and joined Cornell’s faculty the same year as a professor of entomology and College of Agriculture and Life Sciences International Professor. He leads a research and extension program that develops integrated pest management strategies for vegetables and other crops, and it focuses on helping growers implement...